______ Many people ask: "What's so great about Lebensohl? Why do so many experts insist on teaching us Lebensohl rather than any of the other conventions that exist?" The reason, quite simply, is that other conventions are helpful and interesting; Lebensohl is necessary. Indeed, it is part of the 2/1-GF-OK convention card, and should have been part of SAYC. Because it isn't, you will have to ask any new prospective SAYC partner if they, too, play Lebensohl. By using an artificial bid of 2NT, Lebensohlers can distinguish between bad hands and good ones, or between hands that do have a guard in the enemy suit from hands that do not.

______ The Lebensohl 2NT comes up in many instances. The first is when the opponents have overcalled our partner's 1NT opening with 2-of-a-suit (e.g. 1NT-2-2NT is Lebensohl). 1NT Opener is forced to bid 3. Then Responder can Pass with a weakish (i.e. "competing") hand that includes long Clubs or correct to any suit below the Overcaller's suit. In this way Responder can compete without getting 1NT Opener too excited.

Responder

xx

QJxxx

Kxx

xxx

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	Advancer	Explanation
1NT	2	2NT!	Pass	2NT forces 3.
3	Pass	3	---	Competing only.

Note: Responder is not inviting 4.

______ In "standard" Lebensohl a free bid by Responder at the 3-level without prefacing it with the 2NT bid (e.g. 1NT-2H-3D) is forcing.

Responder

Ax

KQxxx

Kxx

Jxx

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	Advancer	Explanation
1NT	2	3	---	Forcing..

______ With stronger hands, the 2NT force to 3 can be used to distinguish hands that do have a guard in the enemy suit from those that don't. For example, 2NT followed by 3NT promises a stopper in the enemy suit, while a jump to 3NT (e.g. 1NT-2-3NT) denies any such guard. Similarly, 2NT followed by a cuebid shows a stopper while an direct cuebid (e.g. 1NT-2-3) denies one. In this way, "slow shows" while "direct denies". In other words, the slower 2NT followed by a cuebid or 3NT (e.g. 1NT-2-2NT-P-3-P-3NT) shows a stopper while the faster 1NT-2-3NT denies one.

______ Remember: Slow Shows, Direct Denies.

Responder

Qxxx

AJxx

xx

Axx

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	Advancer	Explanation
1NT	2	3	---	Denies a guard. "Major?"

Responder

Qxxx

AJxx

Axx

xx

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	Advancer	Explanation
1NT	2	2NT!	Pass	2NT forces 3 (for now).
3	Pass	3	---	Shows a guard. "Majors?"

Responder

xx

AJx

KQxx

Qxxx

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	Advancer	Explanation
1NT	2	3NT!	---	Denies a guard.

Responder

QJx

AJx

KQxx

10xxx

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	Advancer	Explanation
1NT	2	2NT!	Pass	2NT forces 3.
3	Pass	3NT!	---	Shows a guard.

______ In this way 1NT Opener can predicate subsequent action based upon knowledge of Responder's strength in the enemy suit. Note: Many pairs play Lebensohl only after interference over their 1NT openings.

______ A bid of a suit higher ranking than Overcaller's (i.e. a suit which Responder could have bid at the 2-level) is forcing if a jump, invitational if prefaced by the 2NT relay to 3.

Responder

xx

KJxxx

Kxxx

Jx

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	Advancer	Explanation
1NT	2	2NT!	Pass	2NT forces 3.
3	Pass	3	---	Invites 4.

Responder

xx

KJxxx

Kxxx

Jx

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	Advancer	Explanation
1NT	2	3	Pass	3 forces game.

Questions

#1	Matchpoints. Partner, vulnerable versus not, opens 1NT and RHO overcalls 2. What should we bid with:

1a.

KJxxx

Kxx

xx

xxx

Pass.

Two Spades.

Two No Trump, then Three Spades.

Three Spades.

1b.

KQxxx

Kxx

xx

Jxx

Two Spades.

Two No Trump then Three Spades.

Three Spades.

1c.

KQxx

AJx

xx

Jxxx

Double.

Two Spades.

Two No Trump then Three Hearts.

Three Hearts.

Three Spades.

1d.

xxx

xx

Jxx

KQJxx

Pass.

Double.

Two No Trump then Pass.

Three Clubs.

1e.

Kxx

xx

AQJx

Qxxx

Double.

Two No Trump then Three No Trump.

Three Clubs.

Three Diamonds.

Three No Trump.

1f.

Axx

x

AQJxx

Kxxx

Double.

Two No Trump then Three Diamonds.

Two No Trump then Three No Trump.

Three Diamonds.

Three No Trump.

#2	You open 1NT with: AQx KJxx xx AQxx What do you rebid after these auctions:

2a.

AQx

KJxx

xx

AQxx

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	Advancer
1NT	2	2NT	Pass
???	---	---	---

Pass.

Three Clubs.

Three Hearts.

Three No Trump.

2b.

AQx

KJxx

xx

AQxx

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	Advancer
1NT	2	2NT	Pass
3	Pass	3	Pass
???	---	---	---

Pass.

Three No Trump.

Four Clubs.

Four Spades.

2c.

AQx

KJxx

xx

AQxx

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	Advancer
1NT	2	3NT	Pass
???	---	---	---

Pass.

Four Clubs.

Four Spades.

2d.

AQx

KJxx

xx

AQxx

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	Advancer
1NT	2	3	Pass
???	---	---	---

Pass.

Four Clubs.

Four Spades.

2e.

AQx

KJxx

xx

AQxx

Opener	Overcaller	Responder	Advancer
1NT	2	3	Pass
3	Pass	3NT	Pass
???	---	---	---

Pass.

Four Clubs.

Four Spades.